Gay Icons - The Divas: Diana Ross (part 1: the Supremes)

Hello again! After our Eurovision parenthesis, we will continue with our Divas. Since there have been some confusion as to what constitutes a Gay Icon, particularly among the straight fans of this blog, let me clarify why today's subject, the divine Diana Ross, deserves to be a Gay Icon, by using a very respectable source, Billboard.com.

So, Billboard says:

"As a large portion of her fan base, the LGBTQ community has considered the legendary diva an OG gay icon for her dynamic personality and inspirational rise to the top. Billboard Pride celebrates The Boss' latest accolade with six reasons on why she's earned the title of gay icon."

"Her Glitz & Glamour Has Always Been Admirable

Her fellow Supreme, Mary Wilson, reflected on how the girl group had a massive gay following. The legendary singer told GayStarNews 'I think because we were so glamorous that it automatically was a great attraction for the gay community.' With straightened hair and shimmering gowns, the Supremes remained a style inspirations during their heyday and afterwards. After departing for solo superstardom, Ross would make the hair and outfits bigger and glitzier to match her diva attitude and stage presence. No wonder she has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame."

"RuPaul’s MVP

The drag superstar has made it no secret that Diana Ross is his childhood idol. He's co-starred in the music video for her cover of Gloria Gaynor's I Will Survive, and referenced her in his music. The diva has also appeared on RuPaul’s self-titled Vh1 talk show in 1996."

"Her Thoughts On Gay Marriage Were Ahead of Its Time

'Love is love and maybe you don't need it to be legal,' The Boss, Ms. Ross told The Advocate in 1999. She continued: 'It seems like girls, guys, whatever, should be able to live together without a legal contract.' Although this was seen as a soft answer, it actually spoke volumes for its timing echoing a sentiment that people should be in love with their soulmates, no matter the gender, and no one or court of law should judge otherwise."

"Superstar on the Big Screen

We at Billboard Pride can't fail to recognize The Boss as an Academy Award nominated lead actress. Her role as Billie Holiday in 1972's Lady Sings The Blues earned her the nod. It's far from her only memorable role: she falls in love as supermodel Tracy in Mahogany and eases 'on down the road' alongside Michael Jackson in The Wiz."

"Inspired Dreamgirls

It's widely speculated that the Broadway production turned motion picture is based on the drama of the Supremes, Berry Gordy, and Motown. If this is the case, the lead character Deena is a subtle depiction of Diana Ross. In a metaphorical moment of passing the baton, another lead singer from a girl group who'd go on to be a mega-selling solo star would play Deena. It's safe to say, we all know who that is."

"I'm Coming Out Is The Ultimate Gay Anthem

July 12, 1979 will forever be known as the day disco died. That night, rockists filled Chicago's Comiskey Park to destroy and burn tons of records in a Disco Demolition. Soon the genre was deemed uncool, and artists found themselves avoiding it to please consumers. The following year, Diana Ross went against the trend, and released a disco heavy self-titled album which included Upside Down and her boldest career single, I'm Coming Out."

"After attending a drag performance featuring various Diana Rosses, songwriter Nile Rodgers wanted to embrace the fall of disco with a flamboyantly, rebellious anthem. He noted that the jam was also influenced by the Disco Demolition Night, where he realized no black or LGBT people were in attendance, basically categorizing the infamous event as racist and homophobic towards the true fans of the genre. The song reached #5 on the Billboard Hot 100, and would later on become a stepping stone for those truly needing to come out. In 2016, I'm Coming Out topped Billboard Pride's list of gay anthems."

Diana Ross was born on March 26, 1944, in Detroit, Michigan. She was the second of six children of Fred and Ernestine Ross, who lived in Brewster-Douglass, one of Detroit's low income housing districts. Because of her tight-knit family Ross grew up virtually unaware of the harsh life that surrounded her. While her family was active in the Baptist church choir, Diana learned secular music from a cousin. She played baseball and took tap dance and majorette lessons at Brewster Center.

At age fourteen Ross tried out for a part in a school musical, but was turned down. The brief failure turned into good fortune, as she was invited to sing with the Primettes, a girls' vocal group that included Florence Ballard and Mary Wilson among its members. She sang with the Primettes throughout her high school years at Cass Technical High School, where she took sewing and fashion design courses. The male counterparts of the Primettes were called the Primes, and their members included Paul Williams and Eddie Kendricks, who would later form part of the Motown superstar group the Temptations.

Yet another Motown superstar, Smokey Robinson, introduced Ross and the Primettes at Motown Studios, where they visited frequently until they met Motown producer Berry Gordy. Gordy instructed Ross and her friends to finish high school and come back. Meanwhile, they recorded a single for Lupine Records in 1960. The A-Side was Tears Of Sorrow:

Ross, Ballard, and Wilson soon returned to sign a contract with Motown, and Ballard selected a name for the group - the "Supremes" - a name that Ross disliked. I Want A Guy was their first single as the Supremes, in 1961:

They followed it up with Buttered Popcorn, on which Florence Ballard sang lead:

Your Heart Belongs to Me (1962) was their first single to crack the American Hot 100. It was written by Smokey Robinson:

Ballard shines again on their next Hot 100 hit, Let Me Go the Right Way, delivering a tough vocal on top of Ross and Wilson's enthusiastic vocals. It was their first single to make the US R&B chart, peaking at #26:

A Breathtaking Guy (1963), another song penned by Smokey Robinson, peaked at #75 on the Hot 100, an imporvement of their chart fortunes:

It was their next single, When the Lovelight Starts Shining Through His Eyes, that was their first sizable hit. It peaked at #23 on the Hot 100, at #2 on the R&B, and it was their biggest hit in Australia (#11) until You Can't Hurry Love in 1966. The song was written by the songwriting partnership of Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier, and Eddie Holland. Their collaboration with the Supremes lasted until 1967 - and was one of the most fruitful collaborations in pop music history:

At the end of the year, Gordy assigned Ross as the group's lead singer, even though Ballard was usually the lead vocalist. On the throes of the success of When the Lovelight Starts Shining Through His Eyes, Motown rush-released a second Holland-Dozier-Holland single titled Run, Run, Run. Although it made # 26 on the US R&B chart, it was a flop on the Hot 100 (#93). It would seem that 1964 didn't start well for the group...

... which was by no means a bad sign, becuase, right after that, the group exploded into superstardom: Their next five singles all made #1 on the Hot 100, #1 or #2 on the US R&B chart, as well as making the top 40 in the UK (3 in top 10, one #1) and also being top 100 hits in Australia. All were written by Holland-Dozier-Holland. Their success between 1964-68 in the US was only surpassed by the Beatles. The song that started it all was Where Did Our Love Go:

The song was covered by Soft Cell, as the B-side of their huge hit single Tainted Love. It was a choice they would come to regret in a big way - and not for artistic reasons ( the cover version was very good). You see, Tainted Love was also a cover. Had they used one of their own compositions as the B-side, the songwriting royalties (which were substantial), would be divided 50%-50%). Otherwise, they would get nothing, as it happened. They were young and didn't know any better...

Where Did Our Love Go was the Supremes second most successful single, selling over 2 million copies. It is ranked #475 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time and was selected for preservation in the National Recording Registry in 2016 due to its "cultural, historic, or artistic significance. Billboard named the song #4 on their list of 100 Greatest Girl Group Songs of All Time. Their follow-up surpassed that. Baby Love was an even bigger seller, becoming the group's biggest hit ever. It was nominated for the 1965 Grammy Award for Best Rhythm & Blues Recording, losing to Nancy Wilson's How Glad I Am. It is considered one of the most popular songs of the late 20th century, and was ranked #324 on the Rolling Stone list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. It was also their only #1 in the UK:

Since I've mentioned Nancy Wilson's How Glad I Am, which I love, I really must play it, mustn't I?

Come See About Me was the Supremes' third #1 in a row:

Stop! In the Name of Love, another classic, was their 4th #1, as well as their 4th biggest hit overall:

Back in My Arms Again was their 5th #1:

The string was broken by the single Nothing but Heartaches. It peaked at #11 on the Hot 100:

Their next single, I Hear a Symphony, returned them to the top of the charts:

My World Is Empty Without You was a #5 hit:

Love Is Like an Itching in My Heart was a #9 hit:

The Supremes returned to releasing alltime classics that would make it all the way to the top with You Can't Hurry Love. It would be their third most successful single overall:

Phil Collins covered the song in 1982. It was a top 10 US hit and a #1 hit in the UK:

Another alltime classic #1 hit would follow, You Keep Me Hangin' On (1966) (#339 on the Rolling Stone list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time):

... Which would receive an interesting psychedelic remake by Vanilla Fudge in 1967, which made #6 in the US:

Another cover version, this time by Kim Wilde, in 1986, was a huge hit worldwide. (#1 in the US, Canada, Australia, and Norway, #2 in the UK, Ireland, and Switzerland, #3 in Denmark, and #8 in Germany):

Back to the Supremes - and another #1 hit, Love Is Here and Now You're Gone (1967):

The Happening was another #1 hit for the Supremes in 1967. It was a brilliant pop single (their 5th most successful single overall), for which HDH collaborated with Frank DeVol, a veteran of songs for films. You see, The Happening was the theme of the film of the same name, starring Anthony Quinn, together with a number of young and attractive people: Faye Dunaway, Michael Parks, Robert Walker, and George Maharis:

This is the movie's trailer:

Holland-Dozier-Holland left Motown in 1967, and the Supremes entered their next phase. Following significant issues with her comportment, weight, and alcoholism, Florence Ballard was fired from the Supremes by Gordy in July 1967, who hired Cindy Birdsong from Patti LaBelle and the Blue-Bells as Ballard's replacement. Gordy renamed the group Diana Ross & the Supremes, making it easier to charge a larger performance fee for a solo star and a backing group, as it did for other renamed Motown groups. Gordy initially considered Ross leaving the Supremes for a solo career in 1966 but changed his mind because the group's success was still too significant for Ross to pursue solo obligations. Ross remained with the Supremes until early 1970.

Ballard departure from the Supremes inspired the heartbreaking showstopper of the musical Dreamgirls. Jennifer Hudson's delivery in the film version of the musical earned her a well-deserved Supporting Actress Oscar:

Jennifer Holliday's original hit Broadway version was just as impressive:

The first single billed as Diana Ross & the Supremes was the #2 hit, Reflections:

In and Out of Love peaked at #9 in the US:

In four years the Supremes had 15 hits - and the lowest charting one peaked at #11. So, it was a minor shock when Forever Came Today only managed to reach #28:

A disco version of the song was released as a single by the Jackson 5 seven years later:

Some Things You Never Get Used To stalled for three weeks at #30 on the US Billboard pop chart in July 1968:

Love Child, a song with a social consciousness, about children out of wedlock, became the Supremes' 11th (and penultimate) number-one single in the United States:

I'm Gonna Make You Love Me, a collaboration between Motown's most famous groups, the Supremes and the Temptations, spent two weeks at #2 in the US and peaked at #3 in the UK:

I'm Livin' in Shame (1969), thematically similar to Love Child, peaked at #10, US:

Diana Ross was already on the way out of the Supremes, on her way to a glorious solo career. The insiders knew it - and the public was starting to get wind of it... Which resulted in a series of mid-table hits. Not even the return of the Temptations could lift I'll Try Something New higher than #25, US:

Then Smokey Robinson returned - he wrote and produced The Composer, but the single couldn't peak any higher than #27:

No Matter What Sign You Are tried to capitalize on the success of Aquarius - it made it us high as #31:

They even tried covering The Band's all-time classic The Weight, which was very much in fashion since its inclusion on the Easy Rider soundtrack. The Temptations were once again recruited, but this version left a lot to be desired. Not only it was much inferior that the original, it also couldn't hold a candle to Aretha's version. Rightfully, it was their biggest flop since Where Did Our Love Go began their chart dominance, only reaching #46:

It would be unfair to Diana Ross & the Supremes not to go out with a bang - and fortunately, this was not the case. Someday We'll Be Together granted faith and some hope to those who wished that the Supremes would return in the near future. The Johnny Bristol, Jackey Beavers, and Harvey Fuqua composition was the group's 12th #1 in the US - at the time only Elvis and the Beatles had more. The song also holds the distinction of being the final American number-one hit of the 1960s. Here it is:

Ross made her final appearance with the Supremes at the Frontier Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada on January 14, 1970. At the final performance, the replacement for Diana Ross, Jean Terrell, was introduced. According to Mary Wilson, after this performance, Berry Gordy wanted to replace Terrell with Syreeta Wright. Wilson refused, leading to Gordy stating that he was washing his hands of the group thereafter.

The Terrell-led Supremes - now rebranded as the Supremes scored half a dozen biggish hits between 1970 and 1972 and on June 12, 1977, they performed their farewell concert at the Drury Lane Theater in London and disbanded. Here are their two biggest hits, both in 1970. This is Up the Ladder to the Roof:

... and this is Stoned Love:

As for Diana Ross' solo career, that will be the subject of our next story. Bye for now!